University of Arkansas

Admission to the University of Arkansas is relatively accessible, though its overall ranking trajectory has slipped over recent cycles. In the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, the university placed 191st, having dropped from 133rd in 2018. The institution accepts a clear majority of its applicant pool, posting an acceptance rate of 74.3% in 2025. When evaluated against its peer group of 30 public comprehensive universities with similar rankings, this admit rate is higher than only 27% of peer schools, indicating that Arkansas admits applicants somewhat more selectively than many peers in its bracket. Once admitted, however, students commit at a notably high frequency for this institutional tier. The university recorded a yield rate of 29.2% in 2025, which is higher than 97% of peer schools. For prospective applicants, this dynamic means that while getting accepted is realistic for qualified candidates, the school enjoys a solid base of committed matriculants who actively choose to enroll.

Prospective applicants to the University of Arkansas typically present solid academic preparation alongside mid-range standardized test scores. In 2025, the middle 50% ACT composite score range spanned from 21 to 28, demonstrating accessible testing thresholds for the general undergraduate body. In the classroom, enrolled students demonstrate steady secondary school achievement, with most entering candidates earning strong grade point averages. For foreign candidates evaluating their competitiveness, unofficial applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway show that admitted international students held a median unweighted GPA of 3.7 and a median SAT of 1260. These benchmarks suggest that while admission is broadly approachable, prospective international students should target standardized scores and academic records within or above these mid-level ranges to position themselves well during review.

Academic degrees at the University of Arkansas show moderate concentration, with business and healthcare driving the largest undergraduate programs. In 2025, the top three bachelor's majors accounted for 21.5% of all undergraduate degrees awarded. The single largest undergraduate program was Marketing/Marketing Management, General, conferring 491 degrees, followed closely by Finance, General and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. The university's highest-ranked undergraduate disciplines align directly with its commercial focus: in the 2027 U.S. News rankings, Supply Chain Management ranked 10th nationally, while Management Information Systems achieved a 21st-place rank. Although the largest programs by volume are general business tracks rather than top-ranked specialty disciplines, supply chain fields demonstrate substantial enrollment. Looking at post-graduation financial returns from 2023 earnings data, technical and engineering programs deliver the strongest immediate outcomes, led by Chemical Engineering graduates who achieved median first-year earnings of $82,270. For prospective students, the university offers nationally prominent supply chain studies alongside lucrative technical training.

The student body at the University of Arkansas is predominantly domestic and undergraduate-focused. White students constitute the majority across all undergraduate divisions, followed by Hispanic students as the largest minority cohort. Asian and international students represent comparatively modest proportions among undergraduates. In the entering freshman class, there were 206 Asian students, making up 3.1% of first-year enrollment, while international freshmen comprised only a tiny fraction. By contrast, international representation expands considerably at the post-baccalaureate level. Among graduate students, international enrollment totaled 857 students, accounting for 18% of the graduate population. Asian students also maintain a consistent presence in graduate and continuing undergraduate studies. Overall, the demographic landscape remains anchored by domestic undergraduates, while international students are far more concentrated within graduate academic programs.

The age profile at the University of Arkansas reflects a clear separation between traditional undergraduate life and post-baccalaureate study. The undergraduate population is overwhelmingly composed of traditional college-aged individuals, with students aged 20 to 21 making up 41.8% and those aged 18 to 19 comprising 41.2%. Because more than four-fifths of undergraduates fall between 18 and 21 years old, the campus rhythm naturally centers around standard four-year college activities and shared milestones. In contrast, graduate students exhibit a more mature and distributed demographic. The largest graduate group consists of students aged 22 to 24, who account for 30.2% of the advanced student body, followed closely by individuals in their mid-to-late twenties. This structure creates an active, youthful atmosphere across undergraduate residential life, alongside a focused graduate community.

International enrollment at the University of Arkansas follows diverging paths across academic levels, with undergraduate representation receding while graduate participation expands. In 2025, international students accounted for 1.3% of the undergraduate student body, reflecting a sustained downward trend over the past decade. Conversely, international graduate enrollment has grown steadily, reaching 18% in 2025. This divergence is clearly visible in graduation outcomes, where international students made up 13.3% of master's degree recipients and 20.2% of doctoral graduates. At the undergraduate level, international students are sparsely distributed across general majors such as supply chain management and finance. In contrast, advanced-degree international students concentrate heavily in technical, management, and scientific disciplines, notably Engineering/Industrial Management and Management Science at the master's level, as well as General Engineering at the doctoral level. Prospective international applicants will find that while the undergraduate environment remains overwhelmingly domestic, graduate departments provide a much more globally integrated academic setting.

Prospective applicants considering the University of Arkansas can evaluate several other institutions within the surrounding region. In Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa is located 98.9 kilometers away and is ranked 148th among National Universities in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Also in Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University-Main Campus sits 161.5 kilometers away, sharing the 191st rank among National Universities, while the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus is 192.8 kilometers away and ranked 116th. Within Arkansas, Hendrix College is located 118.2 kilometers from campus and holds the 100th spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges. These nearby options give families alternative public and private choices within reasonable driving distance.

Campus safety records at the University of Arkansas indicate a substantial decline in overall infraction rates over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students dropped from 21.1 in 2016 to 9.5 in 2025. An examination of incident categories reveals that campus security activity is primarily driven by substance-related infractions handled through student conduct procedures rather than violent crime. From 2023 to 2025, disciplinary referrals for liquor violations totaled 1,478 incidents, representing by far the largest single category on campus. Disciplinary referrals for drug offenses were also recorded, totaling 261 incidents across the same three-year period. Law enforcement also documented arrests for alcohol and drug violations, alongside lower numbers of property offenses such as motor vehicle theft. Overall, the data demonstrate that campus safety concerns at Arkansas consist largely of policy-based alcohol and drug enforcement, while serious personal safety incidents remain infrequent.